Portable election-booth



(No Model.) I v W. H. BLISS.

PORTABLE ELECTION BOOTH.

- Patented Nov. 17, 1891.

Ya, I), c, and cZ-denote the UNITED STATES PATENT @rricn.

\Y ATSON ll. BLISS, OF HARTFORD, CONNlIC llCU'l.

PORTABLE ELECTI ON BOOTi-i.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,439, dated November 17, 1891. Application filed August 21, 1839- Serial No. 321,468. (No model.)

T0 on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WATSON ll. BLISS,.Of

Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State cret-ballot systems, the booth being readily collapsed for storage or unfolded and erected for use; but this structure is equally capable of other uses and the specific purpose of its construction forms no part of the invention.

My invention consists in the details of the several parts making'up'tnecollap'sible'st ructnre and in their combination, as more par tieularly hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a front view of one form of the booth, shown with the door opened. Fig. 2 is a detail top Vl8W of the structure. Fig. 3 is a detail end View of the structure when the several sides are folded down for storage or transportation. Fig. 4 is a detail rear view of one form of the booth with the back wall cut away to show construction. Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section through the booth. Fig. 6 isa detail edgeview of the double booth when folded and 'not in use.

In the accompanying drawings, the letters vertical walls of the booth, that are made of any convenient material, as wood, each wall or side being strengthened, or, if made of separate parts, united by means of cleats 6. Two of the sides I) and c are united, as by means of hinges f,

in such manner as to fold inwardtoward each other, while the sides a and d, that are united by hinges f fold outward. When the structure is set up, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the top is provided with a crosswise brace g, that may be notched into the upper edges of the side parts a and c, or. tween which it extends, or may rest directly upon the top edges; but

in each instance the brace is removably held in place by a groove g, usually formed between short strips nailed across the under side of the brace, the groove being of a width equal to the thickness of the walls. The brace when secured in the position shown holds the several walls in the rectangular. position; but as an additional means to such end the brace h is used at the bottom of the structure and is similarly attached.

On the inside, preferably on the baclc wall I), a shelf 5 is attached, as by meansof hinges i, and this rests on a cleat 11", that is secured to the inside of the wall a, so as to hold the shelf in a horizontal position. This shelf adds to the strength of the structure when it IS in use. The side of the wall (7, forms the door and may,if desired, be provided with any convenient form of lock or latch.

In case more room is required in the structure, it is made with the front wall 0 and rear walls a double, united, as by means of hinges,

at the center. The front walls 0 are provided with cleats 0, immediately below which a shelf j, that is hinged to the cleat y, is arranged in such manner that it maybe folded up against the under side of thewall, and it is held in the horizontal position by any convenient means, as loops or chains j. If desired, additional folding shelves 7; are pro vided,and they are held in the horizontal position for use, as by means of a strut or bracket 7c. The top brace g, in the form shown in Figs. l and 5, covers the whole of the upper part of the structure and forms a roof, the groove on the side over the door (Z having its outer wall removed, so as to allow the latter to be readily opened and closed. The sevoral vertical sides of the double booth are united by hinges in a similar manner, as al ready describechand the whole structure may be folded up into a compact form, as illustrated in Fig. '6 of the drawings.

It is obvious that the braces may be dovetailed into the top edges of the side parts as an equivalent manner of securing them rcmovably to the same.

I claim as my invention In combination,-in a port-able booth side wallsa and b, hinged together, the side walls grooves in the braces, and a fiat shelf 2', with c and (1, also hinged together, theoross-braee bracket 2'", attached to one side of the booth, h, extending across between the side walls a, substantially as described.

and 0 and removably secured thereto, the W'ATSON II. BLISS. braces 9, extending between the side walls a Witnesses:

and c, that are held against opening move- ARTHUR B. JENKINS,

ment by the edges of the Wall taking into II. E. BAOHARACH. 

